Former Manchester United star explains reasons for his summer exit from the Old Trafford club

Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira opened up on his departure from Manchester United last summer. The Brazilian left Old Trafford and headed to Craven Cottage for €9.5 million.

Pereira was close to sealing a move to Flamengo. He spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan at the Brazilian outfit. However, Fulham sealed a deal with the Red Devils for the midfielder, beating his former loan side to his signature.

The Brazilian has explained leaving Manchester United for the Cottagers. He told O Dia:

“These are things that happen in football. There was a phase at Flamengo that was difficult."

Pereira touched on the negotiations that took place between the Red Devils and Flamengo, which ultimately fell through:

“I know what happened, I felt it first-hand. But unfortunately, in the end, when things were working out, it turned out to be too late to negotiate with Manchester United. They no longer wanted to negotiate with Flamengo."

The Brazilian midfielder concluded by insisting that his move to Fulham was for the best:

“I understand the Flamengo part and I understand the Manchester United part, but I think the best thing for me was coming to Fulham.”

The €9.5 million that Fulham paid Manchester United for Pereira felt like a good deal for the Old Trafford side at the time. However, the midfielder has been in superb form for Marco Silva's Cottagers this season. He has scored three goals and provided six assists in 29 matches across competitions.

Pereira was rarely given a chance at Old Trafford, having spent 11 years as a United player. He made 75 appearances across that period, scoring four goals and contributing four assists. The midfielder was afforded more game time while on loan at Granada, Lazio, Valencia and Flamengo. However, it is with Fulham that the Brazilian is truly showcasing his talent.

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Manchester United legend Gary Neville names his four most important Red Devils players

Neville names Rashford as one of Manchester United's most important players.

Manchester United's superb first season under Erik ten Hag shows no signs of stopping. After lifting the Carabao Cup on Sunday (February 26), they staged a brilliant 3-1 comeback victory over West Ham United in the 5th round of the FA Cup.

There have been many standout players for Ten Hag's side this season. None more so than Casemiro. The Brazilian arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid last summer. He has bagged five goals and five assists in 34 matches. He was named in FIFA's FIFPRO Team of the Year.

Casemiro is one of four United players that Neville has named as being the most important to Ten Hag. The Premier League great told Sky Sports:

"In order, I'd go: Casemiro, Rashford, De Gea and Varane in equal third at this moment in time. I can't believe I'm saying that, I mean forget Casemiro he wasn't here last year."

Marcus Rashford has been in scintillating form this season, scoring 25 goals in 39 games. Meanwhile, David de Gea has returned to top form, keeping 16 clean sheets in 37 appearances. The Spaniard has been helped by Raphael Varane, who has forged a formidable partnership with Lisandro Martinez.